The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-12-22

Il
the faces as thought travelled back into the
past; bat it presently disappeared and there
was a smile more or less expansive upon
every ones face. Even the poor ledger had
a reticent smile upon his hips as he tnrned
| his eyes medIta;iyely toward the fire.
Johnny led of. He admitted without
shame that the happiest moment OF his lie
| was when he was invited 10 the party, and
| Sally had assured him that there would be
all the turkey. rnince pie and pudding that
he could eat. His mother blushed over his
very materialistic idea of happiness. Her
| own story was this: II think the very
happiest moment have ever had was when
the manager at the warehouse promised TO
give me shilling adozen extra for making
the shirts, for" she added, looking around,
| with deprecatory little smile, as though
| to apologize for the LONELINESS of the cause
| Of her happy moment, growing boys are
ALMOST always hungry"
Mrs. Parnell, when called upon to relate
her story, coughed meditatively behind her
| fan for a moment or two and then gracious
| ~ said that the happiest moment of her
life was when she danced with Lord Lang
land at the tenantry ball, when she was
just eighteen.
Grace Fairlie and Honor had some diff
Guilty in keeping their countenances as they
| exchanged giances. Even the poor ledger"
was evincing some signs OF having once
known how to laugh. But the others ap-
peared sufficiently impressed to satisfy
Mrs. Parnell, had she any misgivngs upon
the point. She was gazing complacently
into the fire. She had simply related a
fact, and was too much absorbed III the
pleasant recollections it had called up to
notice any ones face.
O'd Mamie thought the greatest amount
of bliss she ever experienced was when she
Outwitted the poor guardians and got her
''lowance cut stead OF going into the
house, The old soldier described how a
feeling that his mother was near him pull
ing him away from trench during battle,
gave him his happIest moment, because
just as he was fairly out shell burst in
the trench, and he knew that he had been
saved from certain death by the watchful
spirit Of his dead mother.
.'But why didn't you have another dream
to tell you to put your leg out OF the way
when the bullet was coming" asked John
ny.
Il chose to take it into the way, my lad
somewhat absently replied James Brooks;
"besides that did me no hurt"
mo hurt to be shot!'
''Well, my boy, there's different ways OF
being hurt, as perhaps you'll! find out as you
get older. rd mad my lesson, you see, and
DIDN'T need to be Taught over again"
But amt you going TO tell US how you
got the bullet in your leg" persisted John-
nv. You didn't have that through the
dreamf'
"Well, l got shot while was fetching
II
his scantv hair. Bat 1 am no hand at
telling them sort of things. 1t isn't for mo
to say why I'm bit proud of the bullet l
carry about with me, laiies and gentlemen.
Perhaps it will be enough if say that 1t
brought me this" touching the cross upon
his beast and rather shyly adding: 1T
was French officer that was saved, an
only SOM - here he gazed afar oil dream
lily, a1d cut short his story.
The poor lod ger," when asked TO tell his
story, begged to be excused for little
longer, and gave way 10 Sally, who, after
some siammerIng, SAID In hlsn oeIlShI,
glancing shyly around:
at was last night, then. He met me
fetching the supper beer, and he said he'd
got enough saved for tidy bit of furni-
tnre, and a little put by for rainy day, as
we'll as regular work, so there was no call
to wait"
Everybody congratulated Sally, and Aunt
Margaret said that he ought TO have been
invited, at which, amidst a merry laugh |
from, all, Sally, with very red face, said:
HE isn't so fur of as he couldn't be found |
by supper time, if you please, ma'am. He |
said something about being somewhat |
handy, to see il he could be OF any use in
bringing up the trays and such like"
The little tailor. Mr. PEBBLES, was then |
called upon 10 tell his story. "Well, if l |
must. l must" he said, shut Pm afraid it |
will make the missus bit vain when l tell |
the company that my happest moment was |
that night when we was 'scroughing' TO see |
the Nominations and she said she'd |
sooner deal have me to take care OF her |
than Steve jackson, for Steve was well-to-
do in the world-set up for himself, with a
horse and cart and all complete. In the
green grocery line, a master man. He was
a better figure Of man to look at, too for |
it's no use my trying to make believe as l
was ever so handsome as She thought me-"
Mrs. PEBBLES was next asked &c speak
Just then Sally beckoned Honor out of the
room, and when she re-entered, which she
did before Mrs. PEBBLES began to talk.
there was look on her face telling that
unusual had happened. She put
her hand on the back of chair. as if to
steady herself, and said: ''Mrs. PEBBLES, l
think there is somebody here who can tell
your story for you"
The little tailor rose, with his eyes shoot
ing from his head and his face as white as
the dead. Mrs. PEBBLES gasped, but could
not speak, for lol following Honor into
the room was a tall, good-looking young
man with frank blue eyes. brown beard
and bronzed face-their own Tom, and the
ng-hoped-for, long-absent son who had
returned on Christmas night, exactly as
absea. sons frequently do i'll books. but
very rarely in real life. He fell on his
knees before Mrs. PEBBLES, sobbing in hcr
lap, while the little tailor was wildly shak-
ing hands with everybody. The happiesL
moment had come for all three of the Poe
bies family. Their story had told itself.
Grace Fairlie, tho little schoolmistress,
said: Il am obliged to acknowledge that
owe the happiest moments that have
ever experienced to the receipt of letter
that came to me one day when / was terri
bly, in need of the help it brought" Over
The poor lodger's face stole an expression
Of almost angelic joy, but only Aunt Mar
garet noticed it.
Then they all turned to little Annie-fee-
bic, prematurely old, sad-faced little Annie
who sat gazing rehectively into the fire
and then said: Il member once father said |
he would give me worse hiding than ever |
when he came home, cause waited for |
him outside the public and when he come |
he fell asleep and forgot to give it me. II
that will do, missP'
Little Anniel Poor little Annie, How |
could she know that this story which she
al in farr 1s-nrhs Was the L